2. Prepare the squash, by peeling it with a potato peeler. Cut it in half length-wise and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Cut it into 1-inch cubes and toss them in the stew pot. Flex your aching wrist. Also cube the potatoes—I didn't bother peeling them, because their skins are thin and give the otherwise smooth soup some nice texture. Toss those in. Mince the onion and garlic and add those as well.

3. Set the burner on medium-high heat, turning all the ingredients in the butter and cooking/stirring until the onions are clear and the kitchen smells awesome (about five minutes).

4. Add enough water to just cover the ingredients (you can also use chicken or vegetable stock, but I didn't have any and the water worked just fine). Bring to a boil.

5. Reduce the heat to low and cover. Let simmer for 30–40 minutes, until the squash and potatoes are soft.

6. Purée the soft ingredients in a blender, then return them to the pot.

7. Keep the soup simmering, adding spices to taste. I used a LOT of cumin, a dash of cinnamon, a ton of black pepper, and quite a bit of salt. Serve.

8. Leftovers will keep for a few days in the fridge, and for ages in the freezer. Enjoy!

2 comments:

Yum. For what it's worth, I chunk the squash up with a big knife, then peel melon-slice-sized sections with a paring knife. Gave up on the peeler for squash long ago. Also, my English roomie taught me to sautee a boatload of garlic with the squash chunks until they've soaked up all the butter/oil & started to seem cooked-ish, then pour over veggie stock & simmer until soft. Puree, combine with either (a) bechamel sauce and lots of parmesan to make lasagne filling or (b) whipping cream to make soup. More decadent than potatoes, but, hey, the fat & protein has to come from somewhere, or we'll starve.